William young



No. 625,079. Patented May 5,1899. w. vouna, w; n. HERRING & A. BELL. rnoczss or Pnonucma HEATING AND ILLUMINATING GAS.

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No. 625,079. Patented Nay 5,1899. W. YOUNG, W. R. HERRING &. A. BELL. PROCESS OF PRODUCING HEATING AND ILLUMINATING GAS.

(Application filed Nov. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 -Shaets8heet 2.

wnrws Mam NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM YOUNG, OF PEEBLES, WALTER. RALPH I-IERRING, OF EDINBURGH, AND ALEXANDER BELL, OF PEEBLES, SCOTLAND.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING HEATING AND ILLUMINATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,079, dated May 16, 1899. Application filed November 1, 1898. Serial No. 695,178. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe,WILLIAM YOUNG, residing at Priorsford, Peebles, WALTER RALPH HERRING, residing at New Street, Edinburgh, and ALEXANDER BELL, residing at the Gas Works, Peebles, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the carbonizing or destructive distillation of coal, shale, carbonaceous tars, and similar substances for the production of illuminating and heating gases and water-gas and in apparatus therefor, (which have been patented in Great Britain by Letters Patent dated the 16th day of April, 1898, No. 8,873,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the carbonizing or destructive distillation of coal, shale, carbona ceous tars, and similar substances chiefly for the production ofilluminating and heating gases; and it consists of an improved method or process of treating such coal, shale, and other gas producing substances by which they are rapidly, economically, and efficiently carbonized and gasified and by which the residual carbon can be more economically heated and employed for those purposes and for the production of water-gas.

The principle of the improved process consists in bringing the coal, shale, or other gasproducing substance into intimate contact with a large mass and surface of highly-heated materials, so that the heat of the mass of material willbe rapidly transferred to the coal, shale, or other gas-producing substances and effect their carbonization and gasification.

The improved process is carried into effect in large internally-heated carbonizing-chambers, retorts, or gas-prod ucers, which may partake of various shapes and designs, but which are rotated, oscillated, or otherwise made movable instead of being stationary, so that the mass of coke contained in the producer may be turned over and have fresh surfaces presented to the blast of air and the air applied in such a manner that the carbon can be burned directly into carbonic acid and the mass of the coke so heated and the heated; walls of theproducer can be brought into in timate contact and intermixture with the coal or liquid hydrocarbon which is charged into the producer to be carbonized and the heat stored up in the mass of coke, and the producer-walls are thus more directly and rapidly transferred to the coal or liquid hydrocarbon in effecting their gasification. The movement of the mass of hot coke inside the producer by exposing fresh surfaces to the action of the steam enables the heat of the coke to be more effectively 'used for the production of watergas when it is so desired to apply it.

The gas producers or retorts may be of any convenient form by which the contained coke can be turned over or mixed. Preference is given, however, to cylindrical vessels with ends more or less spherical or conical in shape, built with metal plates, lined'with fire-bricks, and provided with suitable mechanical arrangements to enable them to be slowly rotated or oscillated. They are also provided with suitable doors and pipes for the charging of the coal and liquid hydrocarbons and for the discharging of the surplus coke and ash. Openings with the necessary connectin g-pipes, valves, and hydraulic seals are also provided at the axes of the ends for the i11- troduction of the air-blast, for the escape of the spent products of combustion, for the introduction of the steam, and for drawingofi the gaseous and volatile products of distillation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of apparatus employed in carrying outthe invention.

Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan, of the improved revolving and internally-heated carbonizing-chamber, retort, or gas-producer.

As shown by the drawings, the producer or retort is substantially the same in structure as a revolving black-ash-balling furnace which is used in the manufacture of soda, and it consists of a cylindrical shell A, of boilerplates, lined with fire-bricks A. This cylindrical producer is strengthened and supported by strong rings a, which rest on sets of rollers B, and a rotary motion is given to it by means of a steam-engine 0 through a shaft 0 and gearing and a spur-wheel D, which is fixed to the body of the producer A. A doorway with a gas-tight cover It is provided in the side of the producer or retort for the purpose of charging in the coal and the discharging of the surplus fixed carbon or coke resulting from the carbonization of the coal or other substances introduced. of the producer are provided with openings F and G. To one opening, F, is attached, through a stuffing-box, a pipe F, provided with a valve f for the introduction of the airblast and the outlet at F for the volatile and gaseous products of carbonization to the hydraulic-seal chest H. Through the middle of this pipe F is also introduced a pipe I for injecting tar or other hydrocarbonaceous liquids into the producer. The opening G in the axis of the other end of the producer or retort is the outlet for the products of combustion and is provided with a gas-tight cover or door G,which is closed or opened by means of a lever g, connecting-rod g, and handle g This door is attached to the lever g by a central pin g so that it is free to move with the motion of the producer. Over the opening G is placed a funnel G for carrying away the products of combustion and over the doorway E is placed a charging-hopper E for holding and delivering the coal to be carbonized. The arrangement is further provided with a steampipe J, which is carried along the inside of the producer A and is pierced with a series of holes. Opposite these holes there are corresponding openingsj in the fire-brick lining A, so as to provide for the introduction of steam among the highly-heated carbon when itis desired to produce water-gas. This steampipe J is provided with a valve J and is connected and disconnected to a steam-supply pipe J -each time it is used by means of a flexible tube J and couplings.

When the apparatus is first started, a small fire of hot coke or coal is charged into the producer or retort by the doorway E. An airblast from any suitable fan or blowing arrangement is then turned on by opening the valvef on the air-pipe F, the products of combustion being allowed to escape through the outlet G and up the funnel G this being continued until the whole of the fire-brick lining A is thoroughly dried, or the drying of the brickwork and even the subsequent heating of the producer and its contents may be brought up to the desired temperature by injecting liquid fuel through the central pipe I. Thereafter a large mass of coke, preferably in a state of ignition, is charged into the producer, the doorway E is closed, and the producer A slowly rotated by means of the engine, so that fresh surfaces of the ignited coke are continually presented to the airblast. The mass of coke in the producer and the fire-brick lining are thus rapidly raised to a temperature which may be made higher or lower to suit the purpose for which the heat has to be applied. When the object is to produce water-gas, the temperature of the coke requires to be extremely high, as heat below The axes on the ends a certain temperature fails to decompose the water into gas. When, on the other hand, the object is to carbonize coal, tars, or oils, the temperature requires to be lower and just such as practical trial shows is best suited for the gasification of each particular gas-producing material. When the mass of coke and the lining of the producer have attained the desired temperature, the air-blast is turned off by closing the valvefon the air-pipe F, the producer is brought to rest with the door= way E on the top, and the door G on the outlet for the products of combustion is closed. If it is intended to produce water-gas, the temperature of the coke and of the lining of the producer is made extremely high, and steam is then turned on into the bottom of the producer by connecting the steam-pipes J and J by means of the flexible tube J and the steam is passed up through the mass of incandescent coke, while at the same time the producer A is kept slowly oscillating, so as to present fresh surfaces of the coke to the action of the steam. The water-gas produced passes away to the hydraulic-seal chest H,and thence by the pipe K to the condenser, purifier, and storage-holder. On the temperature of the coke falling below that suitable for the production of water-gas the steam is shut off by closing the valves J and J and disconnecting the flexible tube J The door G on the outlet for the products of combustion is opened and the air-blast again turned on, the rotating motion is again given to the producer A, and the temperature of the fire-brick lining and the inclosed coke is again raised to the desired degree, when the sequence of operations already described is repeated with the production of another quantity of water-gas. Instead of repeating the water-gas-producing process the lower-temperature heat left after the production of so much water-gas may be more economically employed in carbonizing or gasifying coal or liquid hydrocarbons to carburet the previously-produced water-gas. At the end of the water-gas-producing stage the necessary charge of coal is introduced into the producer through the doorway E, the door being immediately closed and the producer or retort A made to slowly rotate, which causes the coal newly charged to mix and come into intimate contact with the still hot coke and firebrick lining of the producer and thereby effect the carbonization and gasification of the coal. When once the hot coke and fresh coal are thoroughly mixed and brought into intimate contact, the producer or retort may with advantage be stopped rotating, as the continued motion of the mixed mass tends to produce breeze and small coke. By thus carbonizing the coal a high temperature is applied to effect the decomposition of the volatile products when they are given off abundantly during the earlier stages of the carbonization, and as the volatile products evolved from the coal diminish as the carbonizing process advances the temperature of the mass of coke and of the fire-brick lining of the producer is proportionately lower, and thus a better carbonization of the products is effected.

When oil, tar, or any other liquid hydrocarbon is to be carbonized and gasified, it is introduced by the central pipe I and is injected through a nozzle and so spread over the moving mass of hot coke, orit may with advantage in some cases be spread over a moving mass of commingled hot coke and coal while the coal is undergoing carbonization. More particularly is this the case with coal that has a tendency to produce a friable coke, and when the liquid hydrocarbon leaves a large residue, as in the case of coal-tar, the solid residue from the tar or other liquid hydrocarbon tends to cake together and harden the coke resulting'from the coal. The volatile and gaseous products from the coal, oil, or tar pass away from the producer by the pipe F and hydraulic-seal box 11 and to the condenser, purifier, and storage-holder,where it is commingled with and carburets the water-gas previously produced. It will be understood that when water-gas is not to be produced, but only gas from coal, tar, and other liquid hydrocarbons, the producer or retort and its contained coke are heated only to the temperature appropriate to that purpose.

On the completion of the earbonization of the coal or liquid hydrocarbon the surplus fixed carbon or coke in excess of the quantity necessary to reheat the producer and the contained mass of coke and to produce the desired quantity of water-gas isdischarged by opening the doorway E and then turning the producer around so that the door will be in such a position as to allow the surplus coke to fall out into a hutch L, placed underneath to receive it. The doorway is thenclosed and the door G on the outlet G for the products of combustion is opened, the air-blast turned on, and the process of reheating and gas producing repeated alternately in the manner already described.

Having now described the invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat= cut, is-- The method or process of producing heat ing and illuminating gases which consists in decomposing steam and distilling or carbonizing coal or oil or like substances in an internally and intermittently heated revolving retort or producer, such revolving retort or producer being charged with coke, coal or other carbonaceous combustible, and the charge of carbonaceous matter, and the walls of the retort or producer being heated up by the combustion of apart of the carbonaceous matter by a blast of air, while the retort is slowly rotated so as to turn over the combustible and presentfresh surfaces of the ignited combustible to the air-blast, and. also fresh surfaces of the walls of the producer to the combustion products, thereafter on the desired temperature being attained, shutting off the air-blast, and employingthe heat stored up in the carbonaceous charge and in the walls of the retort or producer, for decomposing steam and carbonizing or distilling coal or oil, the producer being slowly rotated so as to continuously present fresh heated surfaces of the carbonaceous charge, and of the walls of the producer to the steam, coal or oil to be decomposed, carbonized or distilled and gasified, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM YOUNG. WALTER RALPH I-IERRING. ALEXANDER BELL.

Witnesses:

WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, JNo. ARMSTRONG, Junr. 

